“I've never been told that.”
Drawn from his considerations, Ulric asked, “Told what?”
“You said I'm exquisite.”
“You are. Didn't your … ex ever tell you that?”
“No, just called me beautiful.”
Ulric smirked, enjoying getting a one-up on that mortal, though he suspected he'd done as much with the orgasm he'd just given Charlotte alone.
“Tell me something, did he know you didn't completely enjoy sex?”
Charlotte looked to the side, pursing her lips. “He knew. I tried doctors, techniques, reading books, and figured I just had some sexual dysfunction.”
“Then he took no responsibility? Didn't try anything of his own?”
“Why should he? It wasn't his problem.”
“Charlotte, you were … married,” Ulric muttered the word, “so the problem was his, yet he just expected you to fix it, and was disappointed whenever you didn't just … enjoy it.”
The words were hard to say when the mere thought of her with someone else made him insanely jealous. But Charlotte grew quiet as if he'd hit the nail on the head, and Ulric rolled his eyes. “I just hope you realize how selfish he was.”
“I know he's selfish,” she admitted. “I didn't see it at the time, but I've thought about it, and he wanted a lot of things his way without concerning himself over my feelings. Like the divorce. That was what he wanted, and I couldn't talk him into reconciling. He just left as if I wasn't worth anything.”
Ulric flinched, recalling what he'd said to her in Tallahassee in comparison, and was amazed she'd forgiven him at all.
“I'm sorry,” he lamented honestly.
She looked surprised. “You are?”
“Yes. Your marriage meant a lot to you.”
Slowly, a smile lifted her lips. “I'm fine, Ulric. It was only four months ago, but I think you've helped me get past a lot of it.”
“How's that?” he asked curiously.
“Because you've shown me so much. Knowing what I do now, and having these new opportunities, I feel more able to move on from what happened. I fought to survive, and if vampires haven't killed me, why should I let him?”
She was as determined as ever. So spirited. “I have no doubts that if you want to move on from him, from anything, you could do as you pleased. You're strong, Charlotte, and it only makes you even more attractive.”
She smiled as if needing to hear it, or maybe just flattered that he thought so. Whichever the case, his phone rang, interrupting their moment. Ulric would've ignored the sound, but with the intermediary and his brother on the list of potential callers, that wasn't the best idea.
Tugging the device from his pants pocket, he saw Garrick's name, sighing. “I have to take this.”
Charlotte nodded in understanding, getting up with him as he answered, “Garrick, give me a minute, I need to go somewhere private.”
Garrick agreed, and Ulric zipped up his pants, telling Charlotte, “I don't want you overhearing something that could be used against you, so I'll be back.”
With that, he gave her a short, meaningful kiss, then turned to head into the bedroom, hoping his brother had something worthwhile—though there wasn't much that was when it came to interrupting his time with Charlotte.
Chapter 24
Dazed, Charlotte snagged her panties from the floor and went to the bathroom to clean up, unable to stop thinking about her intimacy with Ulric.
The only word she could've used to describe it was right. She didn't feel lacking or at all ashamed, reminding her of the way Mitchell looked so let down before. Knowing the things she did now, they probably never would've had a wonderful sex life, no matter what techniques she tried, so maybe the divorce really was the best course of action for both of them.
Maybe I should thank him … Nah. She still didn't appreciate how he'd thrown out their marriage like a bag of trash without even trying, but she no longer felt as betrayed as she once had.
Things with Ulric were so different. It was easy to see how pleased he was with their encounter, and her reactions. Charlotte never knew she'd needed that kind of reassurance, which made her feel incredibly confident, and very eager to explore more of the growing connection she was experiencing.
What would intercourse be like? Where petting was a struggle before, actual sex had become a thing of dread. But imagining the way Ulric might feel inside her had Charlotte shivering, anticipating good things instead of fearing discomfort, which was another new sensation.
In fact, her entire evening had been full of new, nicely pleasant experiences, and of course, just when she was truly wanting him to stay, Ulric would probably be leaving now that his brother had called. Why isn't that surprising?
Charlotte returned to the living room, trying to forget the depressing thoughts when she came across Ulric's jacket lying on the floor near the sofa. The curse box was sitting next to it, having fallen from the pocket, and she reached down to pick them up and put away, thinking it was strange that something so small could change so much.
Despite the trouble it'd caused, that box had saved her life and introduced her to someone who was coming to mean a great deal, so she was thankful.
Click.
Charlotte paused at the random sound coming from inside the box the moment she had it in her hand, as if a latch had turned. Looking down to check it, her jaw dropped when the lid opened at random, slowly raising up as if by its own volition.
She quickly set it down on the coffee table in response, watching as an old, worn clothe was revealed. It appeared to be wrapped around jewelry—specifically a necklace judging by a section of golden chain showing.
Glancing at the door, Charlotte wondered if Ulric would be pissed about this or not. It wasn't as if she'd meant to open it, she'd merely touched it and the damned thing decided to unlatch.
But he'd said there was a stipulation to unlocking it, so what, precisely, had she done right—or wrong, depending on the circumstances.
Still, curiosity assailed her, and because it was already open, Charlotte decided that peeking at the contents wouldn't hurt, reaching over to gingerly lift the clothe and chain. As her fingers encompassed the golden metal, a bright, amber glow came to life beneath the material.
Briefly hesitating, she raised it higher to reveal the most vibrant, dazzling amber gemstone set in a gold pendant she'd ever seen.
For some reason, when she'd touched it, the stone began glowing, and it was surprising to see that the box carried such a pretty accessory all this time. It must have been worth a fortune, making her believe Ulric's employer definitely knew what they were getting.
“And there went my good day.”
Charlotte jumped when the unfamiliar voice hit her ears, turning quickly to face a woman of average height, but not average dress, standing near the sofa. She was scantily clad in a halter top of shimmering black material with a silver mesh covering it that hung down to her thighs, forming a long skirt on her lower body with a double slit—and she most certainly had the legs for it.
Her hair was as black as soot and neatly smoothed back into a bun at her crown, but her most striking feature were her piercing, silvery eyes.
At her side was an ornate silver staff standing a little taller than she was, the design possessing two scythe-like blades crossing one another with a large onyx jewel at the center.
She looked mysteriously intimidating, her demeanor unimpressed as she mentioned, “I see you've touched it.”
Charlotte immediately began to panic. “Why? What happens if you touch it?”
Inspecting her long, black nails, the woman merely stated, “If you touch it, you own it.”
Charlotte's shoulder's slumped. That's it?
“Not that you'll understand,” she continued, “but that relic is Heliger's Pendant, one of many items made by a powerful magician named Heliger which are now scattered throughout this mortal realm.”
“Is that what you are? A magician?”
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“Collectively, we're called mages, but I'm a sorceress in specific, and something of an old friend of Ulric's. My name is Chandra, and when I sensed the magic of that pendant outside the door, I decided to come in without knocking—sadly, just a moment too late.”
“Because I touched it?”
She nodded impassively, and her gaze became scrutinizing. “You're not fully mortal, are you?”
“No, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“It's how you opened the box. Heliger's stipulation was only by a halfling's hand when safe upon a blessed land will the seal break and the box open. You're a halfling in a Spire, therefore, you opened it.”
Charlotte looked back at the box, trying to reason things through. “Okay, so what did you want? To take it?”
“Yes, Ulric owes me for his freedom, and I came to collect his dues.”
Her gaze snapped back to Chandra. “His freedom? You don't mean,” Charlotte hesitantly inquired, “something that happened seventy years ago, do you?”
Intrigued, Chandra asked, “He told you of his captivity?”
“No, I just keep hearing about something that happened to him, but he doesn't seem to like talking about it.”
The sorceress looked to be deciding whether more information was warranted, then stated, “Only two of us were present, myself, and a demon I hope you never have the displeasure of meeting.”
“Isaac?”
Chandra scoffed. “Yes. Ulric made us both promise never to tell anyone that he was taken captive. I informed him I didn't know anyone who'd be interested. Still, I won't say what the Kalar did, only that Isaac enlisted my help to find and free him. Now, I've come for that box as recompense, but seeing as you've already opened it and seized the contents, the story has changed.”
There was that word again—Kalar. Charlotte remembered Lillian offering to reveal the location of their lairs to Ulric, and now it made sense. They were a faction of vampires who'd captured him.
But requesting more information would be rude when Ulric didn't want anyone to know. He should be the one to share the details, so Charlotte focused on the box and the pendant inside of it.
“If you want it, why not just take it?”
The sorceress sighed as if she disliked schooling anyone, but offered a brief explanation. “I'd rather not have Heliger's Curse coming down on me. You'll have to use the item first, then freely offer it, otherwise I'll be doomed to decay for eternity. Though, I do know how to reverse the effects. Still, why suffer?”
“So if someone tries to take this from me, they'll rot away?” What a morbid security system.
“Yes. Heliger wanted the pendant to be given freely to another for use, not stolen, so he cursed it in order to promote good will to all.”
Charlotte wasn't entirely sure she liked any of this, including the woman standing across from her now, but she sought more information. “Then what does Heliger's Pendant do?”
“It grants a single wish to its owner within the will of the Pantheon.”
“And that means … ?”
Again, Chandra's explanation was reluctant. “It means anything you want can be yours as long as it doesn't go against the will of the deities. For instance, a vampire can't wish to walk in the sunlight as it was the sun goddess, Aea, who cursed them to live in darkness. Wishes for someone's death or their resurrection are also forbidden.”
Understanding now, Charlotte looked back at the item, wondering why such a thing was created. But the real question was what did she wish for? “So if I asked it for a hotdog, one would appear?”
“A hotdog?” Chandra asked as if the suggestion was absurd.
“It's just an example,” Charlotte shot back.
The sorceress stared at her, and the look was unnerving when her eyes were so piercing, as if she could see through Charlotte completely. Holding the gaze, Chandra finally drew out, “Yes.”
Charlotte sighed, thinking about her potential wish. Would she be foolish to waste the pendant on something meaningless just so she could hand it over? She didn't want the damned thing to begin with, and wasn't sure what her options were.
As if realizing she wasn't going to be able to make up her mind very quickly, Chandra asked, “What is your supernatural lineage?”
“Fae, why?”
“Then perhaps you should wish to transition, or wish it all away. Whichever suits you best.”
“I can't do either. There's too much riding on my fae side to make a wish for it without thinking about it.”
Though Chandra's suggestions warranted some real consideration, Charlotte wasn't sure she was ready to be tied to Ulric in an eternal bond yet, nor did she want to make an unforeseen mistake by getting rid of her fae side altogether. It was just too much to make a snap decision about.
“Then I'll make a pact with you,” Chandra offered, drawing Charlotte's attention. The sorceress stepped over until she was within arm's reach, adding, “I'll allow you to keep the pendant until your wish is made, at which time you will promise to offer it to me, and no one else. Is this acceptable?”
Charlotte couldn't think of a single reason why it wouldn't be, giving a nod of her head. “Done.”
Silently, the sorceress held out her hand to shake, and Charlotte took it. As soon as she did, a soft white light began to glow, swirling around their joined hands as if tying them together before fading away.
“What was that?” Charlotte asked quickly.
“Our pact. Should you decide to break it, a curse of very bad luck will befall you until the situation is rectified—saying you survive long enough.”
Pulling her hand from Chandra's, Charlotte pursed her lips, muttering, “It's a good thing I don't break promises.”
“I should hope not for your sake. Oh, and just so you'll know, do not allow anyone to touch the pendant, even to simply inspect it. This is why it was stored in a curse box.”
Charlotte made a note of that, deciding to lock the pendant inside the box and remove the key from the ribbon so no one else could open it.
Just as she was tugging the tie undone, she heard Ulric asking, “What's going on?” and turned quickly to see him in the doorway, looking extremely curious.
Charlotte offered him the sweetest smile she could muster, hoping she wasn't in too much trouble.
Ulric stepped back in after his talk with Garrick to find Chandra there at random, and Charlotte was untying the key from the curse box. When she grew uneasy at the sound of his voice, and gave him a sheepish smile meant to ease the truth, he knew all he needed.
“Shit,” he muttered, “you opened it, didn't you?”
“I didn't mean to!”
Ulric grumbled, walking over as he asked, “How?” To Chandra, he added, “And why are you here?”
“I came a little too late,” Chandra started, explaining the events that just took place, which were definitely surprising. Apparently, Charlotte was now the temporary owner of a somewhat powerful item called Heliger's Pendant, and the stipulation on opening the box finally made sense—though he'd bet money that a gnome in a church would've done the trick as well.
“If it grants wishes,” Ulric muttered, “I should have a chance to wish for the money I'm not getting for this job now.”
“My apologies,” Chandra replied, “but it's been the Guild's desire for quite some time to make sure any items fashioned by Heliger find their way back into our care. Still, I do know the identity of your true employer if you're interested.”
“Who?”
“Perhaps you've heard of a divinian known as the Dead God.”
“You mean Ardilon? Who hasn't?” he confirmed. Ardilon was an older divinian rumored to actually be a god who'd fallen from Divinity. Ulric had never met him face to face, but the name wasn't unfamiliar.
Chandra went on to say, “I knew someone was trying to locate the pendant, so I abducted the intermediary used to hire you and interrogated him.”
That explained why Ulric hadn't he
ard from him that evening. “Did you talk to Ardilon?”
“Yes, and it seems his entire aim was to keep it out of the wrong hands. So he doesn't mind that I'm returning it to its rightful place. It's what he would've done to begin with. In fact, he hired several mercenaries to track it down, not just you.”
“I only ran into one, but she said an Ancient was after the box, one in this realm.”
“What's an ancient?” Charlotte inquired.
“Just a very old, and usually powerful demon,” Ulric explained.
“Perhaps that's who the Dead God was trying to keep it from,” Chandra mused aloud, casting her piercing eyes back at the two of them. “But whatever the reason, the pendant is now Charlotte's, and we have a pact to keep. Once she uses it, I'll return to collect.”
“Very well,” Ulric agreed. “But this won't repay the favor I owe you now that the pendant's no longer mine to give, will it?”
“No,” she confirmed, “though I'm certain I'll find some way to alleviate that debt for you soon. I'll be in the mortal realm searching out other relics created by Heliger for a while to come.”
It sounded as if this magician and the items he'd fashioned were significant for a reason if the Guild Hall at Mysttikar—the City of Magic—wanted them all back. Otherwise they wouldn't bother.
But it wasn't Ulric's concern. He just wondered when a chance to repay the sorceress would arise, and what she might ask of him.
“Now I'll be going,” Chandra announced. “Perhaps I'll check the bulletins posted here when I could use a bit of mortal money to get by during my stay.”
“You shouldn't have much trouble. There aren't many mages of your skill doing jobs these days,” Ulric supplied.
“It's good to know,” the sorceress commented as she disappeared.
After her departure, Ulric realized that Isadora's vision hadn't been entirely accurate. Charlotte hadn't led him to success in payment. But she was what he wanted most now, his ultimate goal in so many words, and no amount of money could ever change that fact.
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